Kaputaş Beach, the Cove at the Foot of the Cliff

From the coast road the first sign is a gap in the cliff and a flash of blue that looks wrong for the Mediterranean. Then the stairway: roughly 180 steps down the rock face, switchbacks hung with oleander, the sound of the sea growing louder at every landing. At the bottom is a short strip of pale sand held between two shoulders of limestone, and water the shade of a cut-glass bowl.

Kaputaş has earned its reputation. It is also small, which is the whole story of how to visit it well.

Where the mountain stops

Kaputaş sits on a stretch of old Lycian shoreline where the mountains drop almost directly into the sea. The D400 twists above the water, and the cove is one of the few places where a short descent puts you on sand instead of rock. Limestone walls close it in on both sides. A small stream trickles into the sea at one edge and keeps the shallows cool, and the bay deepens quickly: a few steps out and you are swimming over dark blue. On a calm day the cliffs are reflected in the surface.

Kalkan is a few minutes to the west and Kaş a little further east, so the beach works best as a half-day stop on a longer drive along the coast.

Eleven o'clock on the stairs

The cove photographs best when the light sits low and the day visitors are elsewhere. By late morning the beach is full and the stairs move at the pace of the slowest family. Early, the sea is easy to swim in and the cliffs have the place to themselves.

Service is minimal. The café is small and keeps its own hours, so bring water and a picnic and do not count on a table.

Green at the edge, blue further out

The beach is a narrow band of fine pebbles and sand, and once the sunbeds go out they take most of its width. The colour moves through the day, pale green at the edge and a darker blue further out, strongest between late morning and mid-afternoon. The sun drops behind the cliffs early, so by five the sand is in shade and the water deepens again.

Facilities are basic: sunbeds, umbrellas, a small café and a few seats on the rock for the gaps between swims.

Editor's picks

• Go down before nine.The stairway is steep and the cove fills from late morning. Early, you get empty water, soft light and a quiet gorge.
• Or come back at five.When the day visitors leave, the cliffs throw the beach into shade. It is a good hour for a last swim.
• Pack water shoes.The waterline is coarse sand and pebbles, and shoes make the first steps in far easier.
• Bring your own lunch.The café is small, and a picnic keeps the plan flexible.
• Arrive by sea.Gulet day trips out of Kalkan and Kaş often anchor off the cove for a swim, which skips the stairs entirely.
• Lunch in Kalkan's old harbour.Fish and meze above the water, ten minutes back along the coast road.
• Finish in Kaş.Walk the Uzun Çarşı bazaar as the light goes, then take a table by the harbour. On a clear evening the Greek island of Meis sits on the horizon.

Insider notes

The dolmuş minibuses that run between Kalkan and Kaş will drop you at the stairway if you ask the driver. Parking above is roadside and limited, so arriving early helps twice over.

Sunbeds are rented by a small concession, so carry some lira, and bring a hat, because shade is scarce once the sun is up. The cove is open to the sea, so on days with surf keep to the shallows. Photographers should know that the gorge is deep and the light inside it changes quickly. The hour after sunrise gives the most even colour on the water.

The climb back takes longer than the descent. Leave yourself time and water for it, and use the landings as an excuse to look at the view.

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How to get to Kaputaş

Dalaman is the closest airport, about two hours by road. The beach sits on the D400 a short drive past Kalkan toward Kaş, and the dolmuş between Kalkan and Kaş covers the same road. The last stretch of the journey is the stairway, and it is worth it. Flights from Europe and Istanbul are covered in Getting there.

It is not a secret, but at the right hour it feels like one.